British Columbia Heritage Rivers Program

History

British Columbians take pride in their rivers! Few places on earth can boast
such a rich endowment of healthy, free-flowing water. Established
in 1995, the BC Heritage Rivers
System (BCHRS) is
the first provincial system of its kind in Canada, and helps to promote
stewardship of this natural legacy for all British Columbians.

Page Contents:

Objectives

The BC Heritage
Rivers System showcases outstanding examples of a representative range
of our most important waterways. While all rivers require sound stewardship,
some rivers deserve special recognition. Heritage status gives these
rivers a greater public profile and focus. Heritage Rivers represent the
diversity of river landscapes in terms of their natural characteristics,
their historical and cultural importance to the human story of the province,
and the spectrum of recreational opportunities they support.

What Does Heritage Status Mean?

A Heritage River proclamation does not carry legal or regulatory power. Rather, the designation serves each river by:

helping to build
stronger public support for, and involvement in, stewardship of the
river.

Criteria
for Selection

Selection criteria
focused on a combination of natural, cultural, and recreational values.
Each of the 20 designated rivers represents a unique combination of
some or all of the selection criteria:

Natural Heritage
Values

Physical
examples of evolutionary processes, and/or ecosystems
or species of particular interest.

Cultural Heritage
Values

Influential
role in the historical development of BC

Significant
to traditional territories or lifestyles of First Nations.

Associated
with people, events, movements, ideas, or beliefs of significance
to the cultural heritage of people today.

Recreational
Values

Supports
recreational activity, and is accessible to a large and diverse
group of recreationists.

Provides
a high-quality recreational experience.

Selection Guidelines
In addition to the selection criteria, candidate rivers were also evaluated
according to the following guidelines.

Public support
for the river from a variety of interests.

First Nations
relationship to the river.

Integration
of resource management around the river.

Balance
of regional representation in the provincial system.

Contributes
to a diversity of river types represented in the system.

Balance
of natural history, human history, and recreational values.

Ability
to recognize a river from source to mouth.

Potential
to achieve the stated vision for the river.

BCHRS Mandate

The BC Heritage
Rivers System was established by the British Columbia government with
leadership and financial support from the Ministry of Environment,
Lands and Parks and the Ministry of Forests.

During the period
from 1995 and 2000, a government appointed BC Heritage Rivers Board
recommended 20 rivers as BC Heritage Rivers, of which five were recommended
for nomination to the Canadian Heritage River System. Their work stimulated
public interest in river stewardship.

The Board has accomplished its task, having nominated 20 rivers that have been
proclaimed as BC Heritage Rivers.
Also, the profile of rivers has been raised around the province with a heightened
recognition of the role of rivers in sound ecological systems planning.

The designation of each BC Heritage River set a vision for the relationship
between the river and people. The continuing role of the BC Heritage Rivers
program is to encourage community-based stewardship, to provide a model for
outreach and participation and to reflect the vision for each river as we move
into the future.

List
of the Heritage Rivers

The system has grown
rapidly, with 20 rivers now proclaimed by the BC Government.
Following is a list of the rivers and the year each was proclaimed.

Reports

The following reports
are available for downloading. They provide a detailed background on BC Heritage
Rivers and how the system has developed.

What's
In It For The River? (252 KB PDF)
A 1993 advisory committee report to the BC Government,
outlining the benefits of BC joining
the Canadian Heritage Rivers System. This early report also suggests
adopting a provincial system of heritage rivers.

Annual Reports
The BC Heritage Rivers Board has
produced the following annual reports dealing with the activities of the Board
and presenting the river nominations for that year.

Government Response Documents
When the BC Heritage
Rivers Board nominated rivers to the system, government reviewed
those nominations and responded to the Board publicly through
the release of another document. These documents outline the
position of the government with respect to the Board's
nominations and reflect the accepted vision and management
guidelines for those rivers recognized within the BC Heritage
Rivers System.